Treatment of twines, cords, and the like made of hard fibers



Nov. 12, 1935. H. BAUMHUTER 2,020,762

'IREATMENT OF TWINES, CORDS AND THE LIKE MADE OF HARD FIBERS Filed Jan.31, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 [/1 l rzzan- 1%422'4 bi ,Bazzm 542/21 2;

NOV 12, 1935. H, BAUMHUTER 2,020,762

TREATMENT OF TWINES GORDS AND THE LIKE MADE OF HARD FIBERS Filed Jan.31, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 12, 1935 UNITED STATES TREATMENTOF TVVINES, CORDS, AND THE LIKE MADE OF HARD FIBERS Heinrich Baumhiiter,Batenhorst, Germany Application January 31, 1934, Serial No. 709,240 InGermany March 18, 1932 8 Claims.

This invention relates to the smoothing and polishing of twines, cordsand the like made of hard fibers, particularly sisal.

Twines and cords made of hard fibers are someties freed from projectingfibers by coating these fibers with a mass comprising a volatile solventand an adhesive substance which remains elastic after the solvent hasbeen evaporated. Conjointly with this operation the product so treatedis smoothed by rubbing. Apart from the cost of the solvent and adhesiveit is scarcely possible permanently to polish hard fibers by thismethod. Experience has shown that the ordinary rubbing in use, or eventhe balling or winding, causes the projecting fibers totear away fromthe body of the twines or cords.

A better method consists in pulling the twines or cords throughstationary trimming members comprising foldable plates the distanceapart whereof is'adjustable and which are provided with a rough coating.If a plurality of pairs of plates are disposed in succession and thetwine or cord, dressed with size, is pulled successively through theindividual pairs of plates, some of the projecting fibers will be laidin the direction of the pull and will stick to the twine or cord bodyowing to the dressing, while loose fibers will be torn out during theoperation. After this preparation the twines or cords are subjected tothe usual polishing process on the polishing rollers of a polishingmachine.

In the case of hard fibers, particularly sisal, the results obtainedwith this method are no more satisfactory than with the first, mentionedmethod. Moreover, the work is very slow. Even then it is customary toselect the softest varieties of sisal fibers, to hackle these carefullyand to cut off the projecting fibers several times in preparatoryoperations. It will be seen therefore that elaborate machinery isrequired for carrying the method into effect.

A feature of the present invention consists in that the twines, cords orthe like of hard fibers, particularly sisal (hereinafter referred to forconvenience as twines) are drawn under tension in a helical path overfrictional smoothing means at a very high speed, 80 metres per minute ormore (that is, about 10 to 15 times the speeds heretofore employed)while dressing is applied at spaced intervals in said path, whereby theprojecting ends of fibers are removed, and under the developed heat thetwines acquirea closed, wire-like, shining surface.

A further feature of the invention consists in drawing the twines undertension in a helical or the like.

path repeatedly over frictional smoothing means, and over drying means,such as a heated cylinder or roll, while dressing is applied at spacedintervals in said path, at a very high speed, 80 metres per minute ormore, whereby the twines are smoothed (by removal of the projecting endsof fibers), and under the developed heat acquire a closed, wire-like,shining surface.

A modification consists in drawing the twines under tension and at highspeed in a helical path in repeated succession about frictionalsmoothing means and drying means, and periodically (sayat every third orfourth lap) over means applying dressing, preferably between the dryinmeans and the smoothing means.

A machine for carrying out the invention is illustrated in the attacheddrawings by way of example.

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the machine.

Fig. 2 is a lateral elevation, partly in section, as seen from thedriving end.

Fig. 3 is a similar View, as seen from the other end.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic representation of a modified embodiment.

Referring to the drawings, a hollow drying cylinder b, which is adaptedto be heated, is mounted in a frame a. and is arranged to be driventhrough gearing c, d by a drive belt a shiftable to engage fast andloose pulleys e 2 In the 30 vicinity of the periphery of the dryingcylinder b there are two or more guide rolls f, g as well as a number ofsmoothing members h covered with rough material, such as drill, cocoanutfiber These cylindrical smoothing members are usually held stationaryduring'the operation of the machine, by means of pinions 70 (Fig. 3)secured to the shafts of the said members and meshing with a gear wheel10, which, being loosely mounted on a trunnion b of the 40 cylinder b,is engaged by a pawl 11. mounted on a lever 11.. The smoothing. membersmay occasionally be given a slow rotation for the purpose of assuringeven wear thereof. On disengagement of the pawl u the running twines areable to rotate the members h. The rotation can be initiated or aided byrepeatedly rocking the lever u. Smoothing members i, which are alsostationary during operation, are elongated in cross section, as shown inFig. 2. A rocking handle m IS provided for the purpose of liberating thetwines, which have been found to stick during stoppages of work, or evenafter a certain time of operation, depreciating the roughness of thesmoothing members as well as the quality of the work produced thereby;

In order to assure the faultless passage of the twines in helical linesover the rolls and smoothing members, a known toothed rack 12 isdisposed at a suitable point on the machine.

Furthermore, a device is provided on the front of the machine for theapplication of a dressing, such as size, paste, paraffin or other waxcomprising a trough q and rolls 0 and p, driven by pinions o 0! and pfrom the gear wheel c.

The smoothing rollers h are radially adjustable in their bearings bymeans of adjusting screws 8 for the purpose of assuring uniformsmoothing effect in spite of the wear of the smoothing members and fortreating twines. of different diameters.

For the purpose of assuring uniform twine tension the drying cylinder bas well as the guide rolls and g are made slightly conical, in aknown'manner, so that the diameters of the rolls increase as the twineproceeds through the machine in accordance with the stretching of thetwine. The same effect may alternatively be obtained with conicalsmoothing members or by disposing the axes of the operating rolls or ofthe smoothing members at an angle relatively to each other.

The admission and discharge of steam to and from the drying cylinder bare effected through hollow trunnions of the cylinder by steam pipes rand t respectively (Fig. 1).

Twines drawn from raw thread spols A and B, in passing through themachine to winding spools C and D, may be wound helically about thedrying cylinder 1), the guide rolls and g, and the smoothing members it,and passed through the comb 71, either side by side or separately. Thatis to say, the two twines from the spools A and B may respectively passthrough alternate apertures in the whole length of the comb n, oralternatively each may pass through every aperture over half the lengthof the comb.

The operation of the machine described is as followsz-Prior to themachine being started up, the twines are threaded into the machine intwo helical lines from supply spools A, B in the direction of thearrowsshown and are passed with uniform tension alternately over the guiderolls, a dressing roll 0 and the smoothing members, the threads beingalso passed through the apertures in the comb n and terminating atwinding devices D and C.

In the slightly different embodiment shown in Fig. 4, the twines arethreaded a number of times over the guiderolls f, g, the drying cylinderb and smoothing members h, i and periodically,

say at every third or fourth lap, passed over the roll 0', for applyingthe dressing, by way of a further guide roll '0. This embodiment has theadvantage that the dressing is applied to the twine with longerintervals for'drying.

The machine is, according to the invention, operated at high speed, saym. per minute (that is about 10 to 15 times the speeds heretoforeemployed) or at a higher speed, so long as singeing of the twine or thecovering of the members is avoided. The twines move in their helicalpath at high speed over the stationary smoothing members, which are soclosely disposed as to be frictionally operative on large portions oftheir circumferences. The result of twine is heated to a hightemperature by the combined effects of the aforesaid friction andcontact with the drying drum, which is steamheated to a temperature ofabout C., so that the dressing is caused to thoroughly impregnate allthe fibers of the twine, and the polishing and 5 drying of the twine israpidly effected.

According to the invention the twine is principally smoothed 'byfriction. The subsequent polishing and drying is relatively simple. Theoperations are repeated many times, so that the 10 whole surface of thetwine undergoes treatment.

The method, of operation according to the invention assures, even in thecase of very hard fibers, such as sisal or native hemps, a highlypolished product. apart from simplifying the whole treatment, results inthe further advantage that for the same output per working day it ispossible to use a machine very much smaller than the usual size.

,This is conducive to the further advantage that 20 gears k, k and thelever-pawl 11,, 10 30 Other modifications may be made, and the scope ofthe invention is to be considered as limited only by the terms of theappended claims.

1. Means for smoothing and polishing twine 35 made of hardfibers such assisal, comprising, in combination, non-rotating frictional smoothingmeans, dressing means, and means serving to draw the twine under tensionand at high speed, at least 80 metres per minute, in a helical path re-40 peatedly over said smoothing means and at spaced intervals over'saiddressing means.

'2. Means for smoothing and polishing twine made of hard fibers such assisal, comprising, in combination, non-rotating frictional smoothing 45means, drying means, dressing means, and means serving to draw the twineunder tension and at high speed, at least 80 metres per minute, in ahelical path repeatedly over said smoothing means and said drying meansand at spaced in- 50 tervals over said dressing means.

3. A machine for smoothing and polishing twine made of hard fibers suchas sisal, comprising, in combination, non-rotating frictional smoothingmeans, a heated roll, dressing means, and means 55 serving to draw thetwine under tension and at' high speed, at least 80 metres per minute,in a helical path repeatedly over said smoothing means and said heatedroll and at spaced intervals over said dressing means. V 60 4. A machinefor smoothing and polishing twine made of hard fibers such as sisal,comprising, in combination, a plurality of cylindrical smoothingmembers, means holding said smoothing members against rotation andmanually releasable at 65 will, an ellipsoidal smoothing memberreversible at will, dressing 'means and means serving to draw the twineunder tension and at high speed, at least 80 metres per minute, in ahelical path repeatedly over said smoothing means and said 70 dryingmeans and at spaced intervals over said dressing means. j

5. A machine for smoothing and polishing twine made of hard' fibers suchas sisal, comprising, in

combination, a plurality of cylindrical smoothing 15 The high operatingspeed, 15

members, means holding said smoothing members against rotation andmanually releasable at will, an ellipsoidal smoothing member reversibleat will, a heated roll, dressing means and means serving to draw thetwine under tension and at high speed, at least 80 metres per minute, ina helical path repeatedly over said smoothing means and said heated rolland at spaced intervals over said dressing means.

6. A machine for smoothing and polishing twine made of hard fibers suchas sisal, comprising, in combination, a plurality of cylindricalsmoothing members, means holding said smoothing members against rotationand manually releasable at will, an ellipsoidal smoothing memberreversible at will, a heated roll, a dressing trough, a dressing rollrotatable in said trough, guide rolls serving to pass the twinehelically about said members and said heated roll and at intermittentlaps over said dressing roll and means serving to draw the twine undertension and. at high speed, at least 80 metres per minute, over thesurfaces of said members and said rolls.

7. A machine for smoothing and polishing twine made of hard fibers suchas sisal, comprising, in combination, a plurality of elongatedfrictional smoothing members movable longitudinally to distribute thewear on their surfaces caused by the passage of the twine, drying means,dressing means and means serving to draw the twine under tension and athigh speed, at least 80 metres per minute, in a helical path repeatedlyover said smoothing members and said drying means and at spacedintervals over said dressing means.

8. A machine for smoothing and polishing twine made of hard fibers suchas sisal, comprising, in combination, a plurality of frictionalsmoothing members, adjustment means serving to vary the relative spacingof said members, drying means, dressing means and means serving to drawthe twine under tension and at high speed, at least 80 metres perminute, in a helical path repeatedly over said smoothing members andsaid drying means and at spaced intervals over said dressing means.

HEINRICH BAUMHUTER.

